SUBSTITUTE FOR EMERY. 75 



north-east declivities of this hill, toward the coalpit of Sen- 

 sac, we meet with this ferruginous ore in the greatest abun- 

 dance, and always with the reddish colour of wine lees. , 

 Farther researches will lead us to the discovery of its bed, 

 the correspondence of which with the mine of Boutonnet 

 will easily be established, since the narrow flat of Saint 

 Radegonda is the only space that separates them. 



Be this as it may, I can aver, that all the schistous land Begun to be 

 abounds with this kind of ore; and the working it has al- 

 ready engaged the attention of one of the proprietors of 

 Boutonnet, who has solicited from government a permission 

 to search for this substance, in order to its being used in the 

 arts as a cheap substitute for emery. | 



A stamping mill with three pestles and a few troughf 

 would be sufficient for the establishment of a manufactory, 

 the produce of which would be the more important, because, 

 after having extracted the coarser emery, which constitutes 

 the principal consumption of workers in marble and some 

 other artists, the last deposit of the washing would yield a 

 substance capable of supplying the place of English rouge A substitute 

 for the last polish given to metals and even glass. For this ^ kewise fc> r 

 nothing more is necessary, than to repeat the washings, till 

 it is brought to a sufficient degree of fineness. 



The situation of Rodez is very favourable for such an un- 

 dertaking ; since the manufactories of arms at Tulles and 

 Saint Etienne would occasiou a considerable demand for the 

 article ; and on the other hand the statuaries of Toulouse 

 and some other neighbouring places would find great advan- 

 tage in using it. Lastly, it appears, that for polishing look- Might be use* 

 ing glasses it might be substituted instead of emery of the *°. r P olishixI S 

 first and second quality ; and I doubt not but with a little 

 practice and patience the workmen may use it all through 

 the process, when they have learnt to prepare it in a proper 

 manner for grinding and polishing at the same time. The 

 artificial emeries however, which we now know how to com- 

 pose, prevent our being any longer embarrassed with the di£. 

 ficulty of procuring native emery ; and if I recommend the 

 establishment here mentioned, it is particularly on account 

 of the cheapness at which its produce may be obtained, es- 

 pecially by the neighbouring manufacturers. 



XIII. 



